Police reinforce vigilance over the state in the wake of Waqf Bill

April 3, 2025 05:30 AM IST Police forces were placed in more than 50 districts across the state, while vigilance was reinforced in all 75 districts, senior officials said at UP police on Wednesday. As the WAQF (amendment) bill was tabled in Lok Sabha on Wednesday, police remained on their toes, with a heavy deployment in Muslim-dominated areas, and opposition parties and clergy who attacked the BJP-led government, making it an attempt to ‘spoil’. The old city was witness of massive deployment of the police on crowded places and intersections. (For representation only) Police forces have been placed in more than 50 districts across the state, while vigilance has been strengthened in all 75 districts, senior officials said at UP police headquarters in Lucknow on Wednesday. They said that all types of leaves of the police staff were canceled by the state police authorities. They will only be allowed by the police staff under special circumstances by the police staff, they added. Flag marches by paramilitary forces as well as police staff were worn in various old Lucknow areas on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. The old city was witness of massive deployment of the police on crowded places and intersections. Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP), Lucknow West, Dhananjay Singh Kushwaa, said vigilance is being increased to prevent any problems. He said police are holding close vigilance in densely populated areas by drones and carrying out flag marches to establish a sense of safety among the ordinary man. He said the flag marches were mainly conducted by Hussainabad, Clock Tower, Chowk, Akbari Gate, Saadatganj, Bazarkhala and Thakurganj. Adequate deployment of the police force was insured on important points in the old city, he added. Police have also remained vigilant in other sensitive districts, including MeerUT, Agra, Mathura, Bareilly, Sambhal, Shamli, Bulandshahr, Rampur, Budaun, Shahjahanpur, Saharanpur, Moradabad, Aligarh, Muzaffarnagar, Firozabad, Ayroha, Kanpur, Farukhabad, Paedagraj, Ayroha, Kanpur, Farkrukhabad, Pairagjj, Ayroha, Kanpur, Farkrukhabad, Pairagjj, Ayrojy, Kanpur, Farpresshabad, Poragraj, Ayraj, Amroha, Kanpur, Farprinthabad, Pair. Bahraich, Barabanki, Mau, Azamgarh, Ghazipur, Varanasi and Gorakhpur.